


the box

by bj62



Category: The Streets of San Francisco
Genre: Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-11
Updated: 2020-01-11
Packaged: 2021-02-27 11:41:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,145
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22216477
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bj62/pseuds/bj62
Comments: 3





	the box

The box sat on a shelf alone. It had stood the test of time and had passed through a number of generations. It carried nothing of value to anyone but those who had cherished it and its contents.

It was full of things that were sentimental in value. It held love letters to a sweetheart that had long since passed. There was an earring that lost its partner long ago.

It sat on a shelf waiting for someone to open it. But one day a thief entered the room and saw it as much more than a discarded treasure and along with money and precious jewels, the thief took it for safe keeping.

Along the way the thief was caught red handed and did what every thug had dreamed of. The thief hit the hapless man with the crowbar he had used to break in.

Adrenalin can give normal force the impetus to hit harder. The blow was strong enough to split the skull of the shocked man and he was left for dead. The last thought that entered the man's mind was that of the small box with the key to the lock in his pocket.

city by the bay city by the bay city by the bay city by the bay city by the bay city by the bay

Steve Keller and Mike Stone were the detectives called in on the homicide. The house had stood the test of time. It stood out from the other houses because of the color of the brick. They were different hues of autumn. Gold and sand and other earth tones gave a pleasing look to the eye.

The only major thing that stood out was the the side door off its hinges and it opened to the body of a dead man. Blood had pooled around his head and his eyes stared silently into space.

Steve looked at the scene and felt anguish. He knew about the string of robberies in the area, but this was the first murder. The poor man must have come through the door and was blind sided by the thief. He looked around the crime scene and saw where things were taken. On one shelf he noticed that something was missing. Dust surrounded a space were something had been.

As they were processing the crime scene he heard a woman in the distance. Her voice was getting louder. He looked up to see Mike trying to block the view of the man lying on the floor.

"Dammit I come home to see police cars and all I want is to know what happened. Is Dad around? I saw his car parked in the driveway. What the hell is going on?" she asked.

Steve got up and placed his hands on her shoulders as he ushered her out of the crime scene.

"Miss, there is no easy way to tell you this but someone broke into your house and I think your father was the victim of a robbery gone wrong." Steve said as he touched her arm.

She backed away and shook her head in disbelief. 

"No... No No No. You have to be mistaken. There is no way that someone could have killed my Dad. I just spoke with him before I left work. We were going out to celebrate the 49ers. This isn't real. This cannot be happening. No. No?" she said as she felt her knees buckle.

He caught her and realized there was nothing he could do to ease the pain. He was surprised there were no tears and took a step back to see if she needed support. 

She took a moment to compose herself and took a breath.

"You said it was a robbery gone wrong. I know the house better than any of your people, would you mind if I went in to see if anything was missing?"

"That sounds like a good idea. My name is Steve Keller, should you need anything here is how you can get in touch with me." Steve replied as he handed her his card with the information of his phone and the one of the police department.

"Anne Stewart." she replied as she took a good look at the home she shared with her father.  
She started to look at the house with fresh eyes and noticed what was missing in the wake of the robbery.

"You handled that well, but do you think it was wise of you to give her your card? She could call the department and get the information she needed." Mike Stone replied as he got off his knees and looked at the crime scene once more.

"She is in shock. I just want to make sure that she speaks to a friendly voice." Steve said.

Stone shrugged and went about his work while studying his partner once more. The crime scene demanded attention.

Whoever broke in had no regard for the place. Broken china was everywhere and cupboards were open. You could feel a desperation in the remnants of the house. Things were knocked over and discarded. Stone was glad of the girl who knew the house so that she may see something that they would overlook.

He looked at Anne once more and finally saw the tears come. It was bad enough that her father had died. He died in an act of violence. Stone knew that some cases were more personal than others. He knew there were boundaries. He wanted to make sure that Steve was aware of keeping those boundaries as he watched his partner go to her.

"I am sorry it is suddenly hitting me. I'm afraid to look at him. I want to remember him the way i saw him last. Or the last time we spoke. He was always... Always very protective of me. He loved me so much and I worshiped him." She said as she sobbed.

He put a protective arm around her and got her out of the house. He sheltered her from the place that was now a fractured image of what was once a safe place for her. He knew she had to go back, but for the time being, she needed space to collect herself.

"Thank you for your kindness. I really should get back in there. I need to inventory what's missing." She said quietly.

"Wait and take a moment. This is a shock to anyone. Just give yourself a moment to come to terms with it." Steve said as he stood near her. He found her attractive but now was not the time to push it. She had just suffered a tremendous loss. He was in a position to help her. It made his job that more important.

Now he had a reason to find the killer. He had a reason to make this a solved homicide.


End file.
